Spectator seating structure



Oct. 17, 1967 T. c5. WALKINSHAW 3,347,593

SPECTATOR SEATING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1966 I NVEN TOR. 7mm mum/MW 2% A 7 TOQNEVS' Oct. 17, 1967 T. G. WALKINSHAW3,347,593

SPECTATOR SEATING STRUCTURE 2 Sh eetsSheet 2 Filed April 18, 1966 INVENTOR. 77404445 6. MLK/NS'IVAW BY v ATTORNEY United States Patent3,347,593 SPECTATOR SEATING STRUCTURE Thomas G. Walkinshaw, Mission,Kans., assignor to Cramer Industries, Inc., Kansas City, Kans., acorporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 543,121 Claims.(Cl. 297-248) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed toseating of spectators 1n a stadium, auditorium, or the like, in largenumbers, and is particularly adaptable to be adjusted for the comfort ofthe spectator, particularly spacing one from another, and the back rest.Each of the seats are connected together, and the seats in each rowbeing staggered so as to provide proper spectator viewing.

This invention relates to audience or spectator seating structures andmore particularly, to a new and improved spectator seating unit and aseating arrangement comprised of a plurality of said seating units foruse in stadiums, theaters and the like.

The principal objects of this invention are: to provide a new andimproved spectator seating unit for use in a spectator seatingarrangement comprised of a plurality of said seating units in aninterconnected relation; to provide such a seating unit for use in aseating arrangement, said seating unit having a unique supporting andinterconnecting system providing a rugged, sturdy and enduringconstruction; to provide such a seating arrangement having a new andimproved adjustable interconnecting means retaining adjoining seatingunits in said seating arrangement at selected positions at varyingspaced intervals such that said units may be arranged in a plurality ofspaced rows extending rearwardly of the area being viewed and the seatsin each of said rows being properly staggered to provide properspectator viewing, yet allowing the formation of straight aisles at theends of said rows; to provide such a seating unit having a minimum ofbasic seating parts, being only four in number, with each of said partsbeing cast in a suitable material, said cast parts not requiringexpensive machining thereby materially reducing the manufacturing costs;to provide such a seating unit wherein the supporting standard or postis integrally cast with the back rest forming a solid, sturdy seatingconstruction; to provide such a seating unit adaptable for use in avariety of seating arrangements, said arrangements employing a pluralityof said seating units all of which have the same dimensions therebyeliminating the necessity of manufacturing variously dimensioned seatingunits for utilization in a single seating arrangement or for use indiiferent seating arrangements; to provide such a seating unit using anovel seating portion suitably reinforced and operatively connected tothe back rest member for swinging movement, said seating portion capableof being formed by a single casting operation, said seating portion notrequiring machining, thereby effectively reducing the manufacturingcost; to provide such a seating unit having a new and unique reinforcingsystem on the back rest for supporting the loading of a cantileveredseating portion; to provide such a seating arrangement wherein theinterconnecting means between adjoining seating units which connectsadjoining seating units at selected spaced intervals includes an armrest structure between the adjoining seating units; to provide such aseating arrangement where accurate mounting of the seating units to thefloor of the seating area is not essential as variations may becompensated for in the unique adjustable interconnecting means betweenthe adjoining seating units; to provide such a versatile seating unitwhich may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and installed andadaptable for use in all types of seating arrangements and in all typesof spectator facilities.

This invention contemplates new and improved spectator seating unitscomprised of a back rest having an outwardly extending portion integraltherewith comprising a supporting standard, said supporting standardhaving means thereon for mounting the seating unit in an uprightposition to the floor of a seating area, said seating unit alsoincluding a seating portion operatively mounted to said back rest. Theinvention further contemplates a unique reinforcing system on the backrest for resisting the cantilevered loading of said seating portion whenthe seating unit is occupied including reinforcing ribs extendng acrossthe rearward surface of said back rest between the portions of said backrest where the seating member is joined or connected thereto. Theinvention also contemplates a seating arrangement such as a rowcomprised of a plurality of seating units, each of said seating unitshaving a single supporting standard with means thereon for mounting theseating units to a floor structure of a seating area, said arrangementalso including interconnecting means operably connected in an adjustablemanner to adjoining seating units in said seating arrangement so as toform a rigid seating arrangement wherein the seating units may be spacedat varying intervals to provide a properly oriented and positionedseating area.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be come apparentfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings where are set forth by way of illustration and example certainembodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a seating arrangement embodying thefeatures of this invention being comprised of a pair of seating unitsoperatively mounted to the floor structure of a seating area by means ofa single supporting standard on each of said seating units with aninterconnecting means between said seating units.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational View of the seating arrangement shown inFIG. 1 with a portion of the floor structure broken away to show therearward side of the seat mounting standard.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the retaining bolts whichsecure a back plate to the arm rest structure showing a plurality ofadjustment slots on each of the seating units shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3 showingthe relationship of the arm rest and back plate to the adjustment slotsof the adjoining seating units.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the back rest and seatingportion of an individual seating unit with a portion of the back restbroken away to show an offset vertical sectional view of the arm restand back plate between the adjoining seating units of the seatingarrangement.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an individual seating unit withthe seating portion in its raised position adjacent the back rest of theseating unit.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 designates a seating arrangement being comprisedof a plurality of individual seating units 2 with each of said units 2being mounted to the floor structure 3 of a seating area andinterconnected by an adjustable spacing means or interconnecting means 4to form a rigid, sturdy seating arrangement 1 wherein the individualseating units 2 may be spaced at varying spaced intervals to provide thedesired seating facility.

The individual seating units 2, as illustrated, are generally comprisedof a back rest and supporting structure 5, a seat portion or seat rest 6and means 7 for operatively mounting the seat portion 6 to the back restand supporting structure 5. The best rest and supporting structure andthe seating portion 6 are each formed by a casting operation of asuitable material, for instance, aluminum and require little or notmachining inorder to produce the finished seating unit 2.

The back rest and supporting structure 5 are comprised of a back restportion 8, said backrest portion 8 having an outwardly extendingportion, illustrated as being integral with said back portion 8, andcomprising a supporting standard, leg, pedestal or post 9. Thesupporting standard 9 defines a plurality of openings or through bores10 in its lower mounting portion 12 which may be employed to secure theseating unit 2 in a desired position to the floor. of the seatingarea.As illustrated, the supporting standard is mounted to a step or curbstructure 14 by means of a plurality of bolts 16 which are received inthe through bores 10. Other and diflerent mountings may be employed toretain the seating unit 2 to the seating area floor depending upon thenature of said floor and the desired seating arrangement.

The supporting standard portion 9 is cast with a rear wall 18 and a pairof outwardly extending angularly disposed side walls 20 extendingforwardly of the rear wall 18 and defining a cavity portiontherebetween. The rear wall 18 of the standard portion 9 extendsupwardly into and integral with the back rest portion 8 terminating in apair of reinforcing ribs 24 and 26 which are integrally formed with thestandard portion 9 and the back rest porion 8, said reinforcing ribs 24and 26 extending outwardly from the rearward side 28 of the back rest 8.Each of the structural reinforcing ribs 24 and 26 extends in a V-shapedmanner having a pair of angularly disposed leg portions 30 and 32 withan apex portion 34 directed in a generally upright manner. The legportions 32 of each of the reinforcing ribs 24 and 26 extend outwardlyand terminate at the side edge 36 of the back rest 8. The back rest 8has a forwardly extending flange portion 38 on each side edge 36 whichis employed to receive the seat portion mounting means 7 for retainingthe seat portion 6 in the desired relation to the back rest 8. Thereinforcing ribs 24 and 26 extend inwardly from the rearward surface 40of each of the mounting flanges 38 in such a unique manner as todistribute the load of the cantilever seating portion 6 across the backrest 8 in such a manner as to reinforce the back rest 8 in a new andnovel manner.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the seating portion 6 is illustrated as asingle unit capable of being formed in a casting operation without therequirement of expensive machining of the part in order to produce thefinished product. The seating unit 6 has seating member 41 defining aseating or supporting surface 42 with a circumferentially extendingoutwardly directed flange 44 about said surface 42 and a pair ofreinforcing ribs 46 and 48 extending across the seating portion6 in aV-shaped manner to reinforce the supporting surface 42. The ribs 46 and48 terminate in a stop member 50 which is employed to engage an abutmentsurface 52 formed of a synthetic resin to stop the rotation of theswingable seat portion 6 at the desired seating angle. The stop member50, as illustrated in FIG. 5, protrudes inwardly of the cavity formed inthe standard portion 9 and engages the stop member 51 in such a mannerthat no metal-to-metal contact occurs in stopping or holding theswingable seat portion 6 in the desired seating position. A cushion maybe attached to the seating member 41 by suitable means and an,insulating means retained beneath the seating member 41 in aconventional manner.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the interconnecting means 4 is illustrated,said interconnecting means 4 providing for the rigid mounting of theseating units 2 in an arrangement such as a row of seats and allowingfor the individual seating units 2 to be spaced at varying selectedintervals within said arrangement in order to establish properlyarranged seating areas. In the illustrated embodiment, the back restportion 8 is provided with a pair of side flanges or portions extendingoutwardly from opposed sides of the back rest portion 8, each of saidside flanges 60 having adjustment means in the form of a pair ofinwardly extending adjustment slots 62 defined in said flanges 60, eachof said slots 62 illustrated as being in communication with the sideedge 36 of the back rest 8. The flange portions 60 on each side of theback rest 8 have a forward surface 64 and a rearward surface 66.

The interconnecting means 4 includes a forward portion illustratedherein as an arm rest 68 with a rearward portion. illustrated herein asa mounting or back plate 70. The arm rest 68 is cast with a pair ofinwardly extending rearward flanges 71 having a surface in contact withthe forward surface 64 of the side flanges 60 and held in clampingabutting relation to said surface 64 by means of a plurality ofretaining means illustrated as bolts 72 which clampingly secure the sideflanges 60 of adjoining seating units 2 between the back plate and thearm rest-68.

The bolts 72 extend through the adjustment slots 62 in the side flanges60 in such a manner that by securing the bolts at a selected positionalong slot 62, the spacing between the adjoining seating units 2 may beselected in order to obtain the proper spacing interval for mounting theseating structures 2 in the desired position on the floor of the seatingarea. The interconnecting means 4 with its adjustment slot 62 allows forthe manufacture of a single type of seating unit 2 which may beinstalled at varying spaced intervals dependent upon the nature of theseating area in which the seating units 2 are to be placed. The

arm rest 68 and the mounting plate 70 are cast of a.

suitable material and require little or no machining in order to producethe finished product. It should be readily apparent that the seatingunit 2 embodying the features of my invention is a highly versatile unitwhich may be mass produced by casting operations with all of saidseating units being of the same dimensions, yet adaptable forutilization in all forms of spectator or audience seating areas andseating facilities.

The seating units 2 can be easily and quickly installed in a seatingarea by merely mounting the standard portion 9 by meansof a pair ofbolts 16 to the floor mounting structures, as for instance, the step orcurb structure 14 illustrated herein. The interconnecting means 4,illustrated as having an arm rest portion 68, a back plate or mountingplate 70 and a plurality of bolts 72, is then installed by extending thebolts 72 through the back plate 70, the adjustment slots 62 andthreadingly engaging the flanges 71 of the arm rest 68, then bytightening bolts 72, the arm rest 68 and the back plate 70 clampinglyengage or embrace:

4, therefore, provides stability for the seating arrangement withtheadded advantage of an arrangement adaptable for the adjustment of thespacing between the individual seating units 2.

It is to be understood. that while I have illustrated and described oneform of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form orarrangement ofparts herein described and shown except insofar as suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. A seatingarrangement for use in stadiums, theaters and the like comprising:

(a) a plurality of individual seating units, each of said seating unitsincluding a supporting post with means on said post for mounting theseating unit to a floor structure,

(b) adjustable cooperative means on each of said seating units tointerconnect each of said units with the adjoining units to form aseating arrangement,

(-c) each of the seating units including a back rest, said back rest ofeach of said seating units having opposed side portions and wherein theadjustable cooperative means is connected to each of the side portionsof the back rests of the adjoining seating units, and

(d) each of the side portions of the back rest of each of the individualseating units defining adjustment slots extending inwardly of said sideportions, said interconnecting means including means movable in saidadjustment slots of each of adjoining seating units, said means beingretainable at selected positions along said adjustment slots tointerconnect the adjoining seatim units whereby the seating units may bespaced at varying selected intervals.

2. A seating arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said seatingunits include back rests and the supporting posts of each of theindividual seating units are integral with said back rest of saidseating unit to provide a combination back rest and supporting poststructure capable of being formed in a single casting.

3. A seating arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein theinterconnecting means includes an arm rest structure disposed betweensaid adjoining seating units.

4. A seating arrangement as recited in claim 3 wherein saidinterconnecting means also includes a back plate which clampinglyengages the rearward surface of the side portions of each of a pair ofadjoining seating units with retaining means operatively connected tosaid plate and said arm rest structure to clampingly engage said sideportions between said arm rest structure and said plate, said retainingmeans being received through said slots in said side portions andretainable at selected positions along said slots.

5. A seating arrangement for use in stadiums, theaters and the likecomprising:

(a) a plurality of individual seating units, each of said seating unitsincluding a supporting post with means on said post for mounting theseating unit to a floor structure,

(b) adjustable cooperative means on each of said seating units tointerconnect each of said units with the adjoining units to form aseating arrangement wherein the seating units may be spaced at Varyingselected intervals,

(c) each of the seating units having means connected thereto tointerconnect said seating units to adjoining seating units and each ofsaid seating units and said interconnecting means having cooperativemeans connected thereto for varying the spacing between the adjoiningseating units,

(d) the seating units having means defining adjustment slots and saidinterconnecting means including retaining means operatively connected tothe inter-connecting means and retainable at selected positions alongthe adjustment slots, and

(e) the means defining the adjustment slots having a forward andrearward surface and wherein the interconnecting means is comprised of aforward portion disposed in contacting relation to forward surface ofthe slot defining means of adjoining seating units and a rearwardportion in contacting relation with the rearward surface of the slotdefining means of adjoining seating units, said retaining meansconnecting said forward and rearward portions of the interconnectingmeans and said retaining means being disposed through the adjustmentslots of each of the adjoining seating units at selected positions alongsaid slots.

6. A seating arrangement as recited in claim 5 wherein the forwardportion of the interconnecting means is comprised of an arm reststructure extending forwardly between the adjoining seating units.

7. A seating arrangement as recited in claim 6' wherein the rearwardportion is a back plate defining a plurality of apertures therethroughin aligned relation to the adjustment slots and said retaining meansincludes a plurality of bolts received through said apertures and saidadjustment slots, said bolts being operatively connected to said armrest structure.

8. A spectator seat comprised of:

(a) a back rest having an outwardly extending portion integraltherewith, said portion comprising a supporting standard,

(b) a seat portion operatively mounted to said back rest,

(c) said back rest having a lower portion and said supporting standardextending outwardly from a central position of said lower portion, and

((1) said back rest having a pair of forwardly extending flange members,said seat portion being operatively mounted to said flange members, andsaid back rest having a rearward surface with a reinforcing rib meansextending across the rearward surface of said back rest between therearward surface portion behind said forwardly extending flanges todistribute the load imposed by the cantilever seating portion acrosssaid back rest.

9. A spectator seat as recited in claim '8 wherein said reinforcing ribmeans is comprised of a pair of V-shaped reinforcing ribs extendingoutwardly of the rear surface of the back rest of said seating unithaving their apex portion directed upwardly with one leg of each of saidV-shaped ribs integral with the rearward surface portion behind saidflanges and the other leg of each of said V-shaped ribs integral withthe supporting standard portion of said back rest.

10. A spectator seat comprised of (a) a back rest having an outwardlyextending portion integral therewith, said portion comprising asupporting standard,

(b) a seat portion operatively mounted to said back rest,

(c) said back rest having a pair of opposed side portions includingmeans on said side portions to receive an interconnecting means forsecuring said side portions to adjoining seating units, and

(d) each of said side portions including a flange extending laterally ofsaid back rest, each of said flanges defining at least one adjustmentslot extending inwardly of said back rest to adjustably receive theinterconnecting means between adjoining seating units.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,406 3/1896 Linn et al2-97-332 1,017,364 2/1912 Albert 297-332 1,237,850 8/1917 Willis 297-2491,681,020 8/ 1928 Stimson 297-249 2,246,160 6/ 1941 Yost 2972492,579,795 12/ 1951 Chaillot 297249 2,965,155 12/1960 Henrikson et al.297-411 3,077,364- 2/1963 Eppink 297-248 3,079,198 2/1963 Morgan et al2972 48 3,194,601 7/1965 Hoven et al. 297-5 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 360,783 4/1962 Switzerland.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A SEATING ARRANGEMENT FOR USE IN STADIUMS, THEATERS AND THE LIKECOMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL SEATING UNITS, EACH OF SAIDSEATING UNITS INCLUDING A SUPPORTING POST WITH MEANS ON SAID POST FORMOUNTING THE SEATING UNIT TO A FLOOR STRUCTURE, (B) ADJUSTABLECOOPERATIVE MEANS ON EACH OF SAID SEATING UNITS TO INTERCONNECT EACH OFSAID UNITS WITH THE ADJOINING UNITS TO FORM A SEATING ARRANGEMENT, (C)EACH OF THE SEATING UNITS INCLUDING A BACK REST, SAID BACK REST OF EACHOF SAID SEATING UNITS HAVING OPPOSED SIDE PORTIONS AND WHEREIN THEADJUSTABLE COOPERATIVE MEANS IS CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE SIDE PORTIONSOF THE BACK RESTS OF THE ADJOINING SEATING UNITS, AND (D) EACH OF THESIDE PORTIONS OF THE BACK REST OF EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL SEATING UNITSDEFINING ADJUSTMENT SLOTS EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS, SAIDINTERCONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS MOVABLE IN SAID ADJUSTMENT SLOTSOF EACH OF ADJOINING SEATING UNITS, SAID MEANS BEING RETAINABLE ATSELECTED POSITIONS ALONG SAID ADJUSTMENT SLOTS TO INTERCONNECT THEADJOINING SEATING UNITS WHEREBY THE SEATING UNITS MAY BE SPACED ATVARYING SELECTED INTERVALS.